Hugh Jackman is backing a new campaign asking people to try and live on £1 a day, but admits he is not taking the challenge up himself.

The X-Men star is supporting the Global Poverty Project's Live Below the Line drive, asking people to cut food and drink spending to just £1 a day between May 2 and May 6 to raise awareness of the 1.4 billion people forced to live below the poverty line. But during that week Hugh will be performing his one man song and dance show at San Francisco's Curran Theatre.

He said: "I know it sounds a little hypocritical - during that week I'm doing a show on stage where I sing and dance for two hours so I think it might be a little irresponsible of me to faint in the middle of a show. But I totally support it."

Hugh added: "I will be going without certain things. And actually I don't mind saying I'm not doing it, because for people who want to do the challenge I'm totally thrilled and supportive of it and I think it's fantastic and there's 50,000 people around the world doing it.

"But I want to encourage people like me, who can't for whatever reason, to do something symbolic. You can join up and do it for one day.

"I'm going to give up my computer for a week, which actually secretly I kind of like, that's not so hard for me.

"So I am going to do two things which are really bad for me which is give up coffee, because I'm an addict and I'm going to give up sugar as I'm an addict."

:: Live Below the Line supports charity partners The Salvation Army International Development (UK), Christian Aid, Restless Development, Think Global and RESULTS UK. www.livebelowtheline.org.uk